AUBURN, Alabama -- The first game of the season, maybe more than any other, is something of a revelation for fans and observers of the team.

Auburn had its own fair share of surprises, revealing moments and rotations, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, where Tigers' coordinator Ellis Johnson rotated players throughout the lineup in an effort to stay fresh against Washington State's 88 plays and constant passing attack.

Auburn's Wildcat quarterback, at least for the moment, appears to be junior college transfer Cameron Artis-Payne, who rushed for 52 yards on 10 carries. Used at times in short-yardage situations, Artis-Payne picked up 24 yards on three Wildcat carries -- an Auburn media relations worker termed it the "WildCAP" -- including a 19-yarder on 3rd-and-1 in the fourth quarter to set up Cody Parkey's final field goal.

According to the participation chart, five true freshmen saw action for the Tigers. Montravius Adams made the biggest waves, but defensive end Carl Lawson saw extensive playing time and Elijah Daniel got a few chances. Wide receivers Marcus Davis and Tony Stevens were also listed, and Mackenro Alexander and Johnathan Ford may have seen action on special teams.

Despite a whole bunch of pregame press, Kiehl Frazier didn't see any time at safety and wasn't listed on the participation chart. One safety who did see time unexpectedly was Trent Fisher, who was credited with two tackles and saw playing time at safety in the fourth quarter.

Another unexpected member of the defensive rotation was defensive end Justin Delaine, who saw increasing playing time at right end as the game progressed. A little-used player his first two seasons, Delaine didn't register a statistic defensively.

Both Ryan White and Ryan Smith, a pair of seniors, saw extensive action at cornerback and safety, respectively. White had a tackle and broke up a pass, and Smith finished in a tie for second on the team with seven tackles.

Ken Carter played both defensive end and defensive tackle, moving inside at times on passing downs.